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Oilers down Bucs on the road

Posted: Thursday, June 24, 2010

By Staff Report

The Peninsula Oilers notched a 5-1 win over the host Anchorage Bucs in Alaska Baseball League action on Wednesday. The Oilers now lead the ABL with a 9-2 record. They are 10-2-1 overall. The Bucs fall to 3-6 in the league and 5-10-1 overall.

The Oilers travel to the Valley today to take on the Mat-Su Miners at 7 p.m. The Miners, who did not play Wednesday, are 8-2 in the ABL and 10-3 overall.

Leading 2-1, the Oilers put the game out of reach with three runs in the eighth inning. After getting blanked by Bucs reliever Ty Griffith, who retired nine straight batters through three innings of work, the Oilers scored three runs on two hits when Fielding Pittman took the mound.

Griffith recorded four strike outs, gave up no hits, no runs and no walks.

The Oilers' first run of the eighth came on the Bucs' third error of the game. After Justin Charles hit leadoff single, Ryan Gebhart was hit by a pitch. Garrett Wittels then laid down a bunt. He reached first base safely on a throwing error by catcher Dominic Piazza -- his second of the game -- and Charles scored. Tyler Grimes hit an RBI single and Stephen Piscotty followed with an RBI fielders choice to give the Oilers a 5-1 lead.

With two out in the bottom of the ninth, Oilers reliever Adam Heredia hit Piazza to load the bases. But Heredia, who earned the save in his first appearance, got pinch hitter Cam Schiller to ground out to end the game.

Nathan Theunissen scored the game's first run on a passed ball in the second inning. He got on base with a one-out double. Then advanced to third on a fly out by Jeff Popick. With Davis Page at the plate with two outs, Theunissen scored.

Grimes hit his fifth double of the season to start off the fourth inning. He then reached third on a wild pitch. Grimes scored on Piazza's first error with Piscotty at the plate to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead. Piscotty reached first base safely on the error. Patrick Wisdom followed Piscotty with a base hit. But the Oilers left both runners stranded to end the inning.

The Bucs cut the lead in half when Zach Vincej ripped a two-out, RBI double to score Justin Hopper, who drew a leadoff walk. Vincej was left stranded and the Oilers led 2-1 after six innings.

Oilers starter Jake Sabol picked up the win. He surrendered just two hits and one run in six innings. Reliever Taylor Garrison did not allow a run through two innings. He gave up just one hit, one walk and struck out two.